CHINA, AMERICA, AM) ENGLAND. 123 



^yill be the one article most extensively consumed. 

 America can, if she will. She has the soil, climate, 

 energy, and intelligence to appropriate to herself the 

 trade, 



STATE OF TRADE BETWEEN CHINA AND ENGLAND, 

 AND AMERICA AND CHINA. 



MR. BALL has shown the expense of China teas when 

 they reached Canton and Shanghaie is per pecul (133 l Ibs.) 

 20 teals, 2 mace, 3 cash, and IT teals, 7 mace, 4 cash, 

 or about Is.O^d., and Hid., or 25 cents at Canton, and 

 22| cents at Shanghaie per Ib. Now, the average sale 

 price for 1849 was only 20 cents at Canton, and 16 

 cents at Shanghaie. This will show, if Mr. Ball be cor 

 rect in his statements, that a very heavy loss must be 

 sustained, and is being sustained, on the China side of 

 tea matters. However., adulteration may make up the 

 deficiency. 



But, for a series of years, trade in China has been un 

 fortunate for the English. The Parliamentary Commit 

 tee of 184T declared that the loss to England, taking the 

 trade both ways, was 35 per cent. ; and in the returns of 

 the trade with the five ports of China for 1847-48, laid 

 before Parliament in 1849, by order of her Majesty, Mr. 

 Macgregor states : u From the information which I have 

 gathered, I am led to consider that all the shipments of 

 tea during 1847 has had a very unfavorable result for 

 those concerned in them. This is fully borne out by the 

 fact, that while prices at home have been progressively 

 declining, the prices here, particularly of the common and 

 middling kinds of congou (which form the great bulk of 

 export), have been maintained at the same point to which 



